According to the Transport Corridor Research Center (TCRC), the endless queues and unbearable conditions at Georgia’s borders have become one of the main reasons Georgian truck drivers increasingly leave the country in search of work abroad.
The center notes that the shortage of drivers in Georgia has been sharply felt for several years, and the migration process is becoming irreversible. Local social media platforms frequently feature announcements for driver recruitment, yet many drivers are willing to work only under European-level salary conditions.
TCRC adds that due to low regional tariffs, Georgian companies will struggle to match European wages, further pushing drivers to seek employment abroad. In Georgia’s road transport market, drivers often have to pay out of pocket for various qualification documents, even though the state partially subsidizes these costs. A similar crisis is observed in Europe: according to IRU data, the driver shortage exceeded 250,000 in 2023 and is projected to reach 450,000 in 2024. Without radical changes, by 2028, over 800,000 vacancies will remain unfilled in Europe alone, and more than 7 million globally.
To address the problem, the European Union is considering measures such as lowering the minimum driving age and subsidizing certification costs.
TCRC concludes that this situation will further increase the outflow of Georgian drivers, posing a threat to the country’s local transport sector.
